(5) Breguet numerals
Some Breguet watches display the distinctive numerals that A.-L. Breguet designed. Although he himself was no calligraphist, Breguets Arabic numerals show his flair for combining function with elegance. Still used today particularly on watches with enamel dials, Breguet numerals first appeared before the French Revolution when they shared the dial with tiny stars to mark the minutes and stylised fleur-de-lys at five-minute intervals. By 1790 they had assumed their definitive form.
(6) Lugs
Although essential only to wristwatches, the lugs that link the strap to the case bear all the hallmarks of authentic Breguet styling. Screw-pins, rather than the more usual sprung bars, hold the strap between the horns, a solution that is not only better looking but also more secure. The lugs have to be welded onto the caseband as much for the technical reasons of rigidity and strength as for aesthetic consistency. Equally exacting is the drilling of the hole for the winding stem. Only absolute precision ensures a watertight case.
(7) Caseband fluting
The fluting (fine grooves enhanced with double beading) on the caseband of Breguets watches is another of the discreet decorative details that constitute what has become known as the Breguet style. In common with many period Breguet timepieces, most of its modern wristwatches have fluted case bands - one of the features that set them apart from other watches. The fluted pattern is cold-rolled into the caseband then finished by hand on a mechanical workpiece-holder.
breakthrough [‘breikθru:] n. 突破;突破性进展
escapement [iskeipmnt] n. 擒纵机构棘轮装置
bourgeoisie [,bwɑzi] n. 资产阶级;中产阶级
ingenuity [,indinju:ti] n. 心灵手巧,独创性
hollow [‘hlu] n. 中空
distinctive [distiktiv] adj. 有特色的,与众不同的
discreet [diskri:t] adj. 谨慎的;小心的
宝玑之所以在文化传统中占据特殊地位,均拜其品牌创始人阿伯拉罕-路易·宝玑(1747-1823年)所赐,他制定的制表标准成为整个高级制表业界尊崇的金科玉律。今天,宝玑后人所制作的每款宝玑腕表仍是顶级钟表工艺的典范。
阿伯拉罕-路易·宝玑生于纳沙泰尔,却在巴黎度过其大半制表职业生涯。1775年,宝玑在巴黎的钟表堤岸开始创业。他潜心研究制表工艺的方方面面,而出自他手的各类发明,对钟表业界产生了深远影响。
宝玑的事业始于几项突破性发明:开发大获成功的自动上链怀表、首次在三问表中使用打簧,以及首创平衡摆轮轴防震装置。
法国国王路易十六及其王后玛丽·安托瓦内特是宝玑钟表产品最早的追随者。每一块产自宝玑工作坊的钟表均配备独创机芯,体现当时的最新制表技术。其中大部分钟表产品更配备宝玑精心改良的杠杆式或宝石轴柱擒纵装置。
法国大革命期间,宝玑逃亡至瑞士。战乱平息后,他怀着满腔灵感与创意重返巴黎,先后创制宝玑摆轮游丝、第一座旅行钟(随后售给拿破仑)、自鸣钟及悬垂表、触摸表,最后更创制了陀飞轮,并在1801年注册专利。
宝玑成为当时科学、军事、金融以及外交才俊不可或缺的制表大师。他的钟表大受欧洲王室欢迎。宝玑为其最为尊贵的顾客设计了多款匠心独具的作品,例如,他于1801年就已经为那不勒斯王后卡洛琳·缪拉构想腕表。荣誉随之而至。他得到经度委员会(board of longitude)委任,作为海军的精密计时器制造大师,加入了科学院,并荣获国王路易十八亲授的荣誉勋章(Legion of Honor)。
宝玑一直为众多来自外交、科学、军事和金融界的精英之士打造钟表。其中包括法国王后玛丽·安托瓦内特、拿破仑·波拿巴将军、法国主教塔里兰、奥斯曼帝国苏丹沙林三世、那不勒斯王后卡洛琳·缪拉、俄国沙皇亚历山大一世、英国维多利亚女王、温斯顿·邱吉尔爵士和阿瑟·鲁宾斯坦,他们都对宝玑钟表的工艺和品味给予了充分信赖。
宝玑在法国和外国的文学作品中频频出现,也是宝玑公司及其创始人极高声望的佐证。现在,宝玑已深深扎根于欧洲文化,成为描述贵族、资产阶级或奢华优雅生活时不可或缺的重要代名词。 司汤达、梅里美、普希金、巴尔扎克、亚历山大·杜马、萨克雷和维克多·雨果都曾在作品中提及宝玑表,而继其之后,还有现代作家库普林、马克斯·雅各布和派特里克·欧布莱恩等。
如今,创新能力更能显示品牌活力。宝玑所拥有的创造力和聪明才智愈加历久弥新。在尼古拉斯·海耶克的带领下,品牌实力得以大大增强,在短短八年时间里,先后申请多项设计专利,比其创始人更胜一筹。
制表工艺
(1)独立编号
世界各地表迷都认同每块宝玑表均体现一种不同凡响的制表工艺标准,且值得流传后世。宝玑自创始至今,所制作的每块钟表均带有独立编号,可供收藏家确定其真伪与来历。 这项优良传统延续至今。每一块宝玑表均附有独一无二的生产编号,将明证品牌世代相传的制造技艺和心血。
(2)隐蔽签名
宝玑表因大获成功而成为仿冒者的目标。1795年,宝玑采用了一项防伪技术:隐蔽签名。在表盘上蚀刻一个隐蔽签名,只在光线以斜角照射时才显现出来。时至今日,隐蔽签名仍是辨别宝玑表真伪的标记,也是大部分宝玑表表盘的专有特征。
(3)手工镌刻表盘
宝玑约于1786年开始为腕表装配自行设计的手工镌刻银质或金质表盘。在金属表面镌刻重复图案的工艺目前已几近失传,但这却成为鉴别宝玑腕表的重要细节之一。制作精美的手工镌刻表盘以其图案优雅脱俗而闻名于世,与其所搭载的精准机芯相得益彰。
(4)宝玑指针
过去的两个多世纪至今,宝玑一直沿用品牌创始人创制的带镂空偏心“月形”针尖的指针。这款修长雅致的指针约于1783年设计,一面世即大受欢迎。自此,“宝玑指针”便成为制表业的常用专业名词。宝玑指针简洁易读,是每块宝玑表的必备特色,更成为许多其他品牌竞相仿效的对象。
(5)宝玑数字时符
许多宝玑表款仍采用阿伯拉罕-路易·宝玑设计的独特数字符号。尽管宝玑并非书法家,但其所设计的阿拉伯数字却优雅实用,尽显其惊人天赋。数字符号于法国大革命之前就已问世,当时表盘除了饰有阿拉伯数字外,还有小星分针及风格独具的百合花形五分钟刻度,至1790年发展成为今天所见的式样。如今,配以珐琅表盘的宝玑表依然沿用这套原创数字符号。
(6)表耳
尽管仅仅是腕表的组件,把表带与表壳相连的表耳亦体现了百分百的宝玑风格。宝玑以螺丝栓取代常用的弹簧杆,将表带固定于表耳之间,不仅美观,而且稳固。表耳焊接于表框上,确保坚固耐用,令整块腕表更具美感。此外,上链杆的孔眼必须准确钻制,才能确保表壳具有高度防水性能。
(7)表框坑纹
宝玑表框上的坑纹(双排串珠形)是闻名遐迩的品牌标志,展现宝玑设计的含蓄修饰细节。一如以往的经典作品,大部分宝玑现代表款均带有坑纹表框,在众多表款中脱颖而出。工匠把坑纹冷轧到表框上,然后放置在机械夹钳上,手工加工而成。
10.(日本)精工 Seiko
品牌名片
品类:腕表
标志风格:创新、精炼
创始人:服部金太郎(Kintaro Hattori)
诞生地:日本
诞生时间:1881年
Seiko的品牌标志就是一个简单的“SEIKO”,是日本晶振制造商Seiko Instruments Inc.的缩写,也称为SII。
品牌阅读
The story of SEIKO began in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a clock repair shop in central Tokyo. Only after 11 years, the company produced the first clock and produced the first wrist watch in 1895.
SEIKO has launched many epoch-****** products in the world. SEIKOs cutting edge innovations make it possible to create wonderful worlds first products. In 1929, SEIKO pocket watch was appointed as Japan National Railways official “Railway Watch”. In 1964, the worlds first portable quartz chronometer QC-951 was introduced. This year, SEIKO served as official timer of the 18th Tokyo Olympic Games. It introduced the worlds first six-digit LCD quartz watch cal.0614 in 1973 and the worlds first TV watch cal. T001 in 1983. It also served as official timer at the 25th Olympic Games held in Barcelona, Spain in 1992. In 2006, it introduced the worlds first watch with electrophoresis display module cal. G510.
Technology
SEIKO believes that the wristwatch is an intimate accessory. The best watches live in harmony and interact with the wearer, and their functions offer a reassuring and emotionally satisfying bond. SEIKOs technological development is focused on the creation of‘emotional technologies. Emotional technology creates the interaction between the wearer and the product.
(1) Kinetic
Like mechanical and quartz, Kinetic is a platform. Over the past 20 years, SEIKO has created on this platform a suite of Kinetic movements, each bringing unique features to the consumer.